Learn How to Apply for College Scholarships

Learn How to Apply for College Scholarships

Attending a College or University is, without a doubt, expensive. Even if money grew on trees, it probably wouldn’t grow fast enough for some students to feel like they can cover all the costs of higher education. Unfortunately, money does not’t grow on trees and just the same, scholarships aren’t handed out at random. Students have to go out and get a scholarship. Scholarships require hard work and a lot of dedicated, organized effort. In this article we are going to discuss where to find scholarships that will work for you and what to do once you’ve applied for a scholarship.

Scholarship Application Tips

Make sure to filter scholarships when doing a scholarship search. Students should only apply to scholarships he or she qualifies for. A scholarship should match the student’s skills, heritage, and a variety of other qualifications. Scholarships are VERY strict about this so pay attention to what is required!

When searching for scholarships start early. The more time a student has to put into their scholarship essays, the more choices they will have. As a student, you will need time to request necessary information and put the materials together to complete a scholarships project or essay. Scholarships requirements may include needing high school transcripts, financial aid forms such as the FAFSA (fafsa.ed.gov), essay(s), letters of recommendation from a variety of people, a higher SAT or ACT score, proof of eligibility such as U.S. Citizenship, birth certificate or tribal membership card. For international students planning to take the SAT or ACT, a passport is always required.

When applying for scholarships stay organized. Make a variety of folders for each scholarship and keep track of what is needed, required materials, and what has been submited so far for each scholarship. Track the scholarships on a calendar and be sure to have your materials turned in by the required due date. Each scholarship has a different due date. Keep track of them!

When filling out a scholarship application follow the instructions carefully. Use a word count tool to count the words on a typed essay and do not go over a maximum word count or under a required word count. Provide the right materials as required. If you have any questions about the schoarlship requirements or questions on how to fill out an application, call or email the scholarship sponsors. Many applications are eliminated because the directions were not followed to the letter. Don’t miss out on a scholarship opportunity because of a simple mistake.

When writing scholarship essay(s) stay on topic. The essay asks for philosophic themes of a particular novel, don’t be clever by comparing the novel to a comic book. Give them exactly what they asked for. Be simple. Don’t give more. Don’t give less.

Once your application and essay(s) are completed, check and recheck your application for any errors. Make sure the application is readable and that all the words are spelled correctly. Make sure you have answered all the questions as they should be answered. Make sure to sign and date where appropriate and check for any needed signatures from teachers, employers, or parents.

We cannot stress enough to send the application in on-time. Again, track your scholarship deadlines on a calendar. Give yourself time to effectively complete each application.

Be aware that scholarships do affect financial aid packages. Contact your financial aid office at any college you are considering to find out the details of how a scholarship may effect your financial aid reward. Each school has its own policy on which types of aid may be reduced or eliminated by the scholarship money.